Gas turbine engines have numerous annular areas, including combustor, high pressure turbine and low pressure turbine. Each of these areas is bounded by a liner or shroud which defines a flowpath. Typical liners/shrouds may be segmented into a number of arcuate panels with a means for attaching each panel to a support.
In the past, such panels have been formed by rough casting of the part followed by precision machining. These panels tend to be heavy due to casting limitations requiring minimum thicknesses. They also may exhibit weaknesses due to voids created during the casting process. Furthermore, the machining operation requires additional time resulting in more expensive panels.
Panels may also be formed by alternative fabrication techniques. For example, in low pressure turbine shrouds, sheet metal members may be joined together to form the panel. Again, as with machining, such techniques are time consuming and expensive.